Washington Square Wellness Festival To Be Held Saturday

Saturday, Sept. 29 is the 3rd annual Washington Square Wellness Festival featuring the Grayslake Patch and many other businesses. The event will be held noon to 4 p.m. in Washington Square, across from the College of Lake County.

Patch asks event coordinator Matt Petersen, owner of The Fitness Pursuit, all about it.

Tell us a little about yourself Matt, and The Fitness Pursuit.

I have been shaped from my past. Being obese growing up, having divorced young parents, playing high school varsity sports, having knee reconstruction and a family with poor health and a father who died at 49 all have created who I am.

I have been personal training since 1998. In 2008, The Fitness Pursuit-Multi-Sport Studio opened offering a diverse, high tech and high quality result focused facility.

Why you have organized the Washington Square Wellness Festival?How many years has this event been held?

2012 will be the 3rd annual event. The idea came from wanting a way for
our businesses in Washington Square to highlight themselves along with
providing a positive festival that the whole family can come to, as there
is something for all ages.

Who will be represented at this event?

There are 30+ businesses and organizations that will be highlighted. A list
is on the Web site.

What's in store for attendees?

There is so much to do for free! There will be two bands; a DJ; free kids haircuts from 1-3 p.m.; food/drink samples; food/fitness demos; free raffles; dogs; frisbee golf; skateboarding; biking; helmet safety demo (look out for smashed fruit!); and individual vendor specials, discounts on product and services. This list will take you a good 90 minutes to enjoy!

Will this event benefit any particular organization? Does it change
every year?

Yes, every year the planning committee picks an organization locally to
benifit. In 2011, it was the SEDOL Foundation. In 2010, it was Save-A-Pet. This year it will be the Oasis Grayslake Youth Center. The festival is about the community and giving back.

How much money are you hoping will be raised through this event?

From our past raffle totals and the projected increase in attendance this
year our committee has set as a goal. We anticipate $3,000 but wouldn't be
surprised if we see $5,000+ as we know how strongly the vendor group is behind this and how much the community supports the Oasis.

Why should everyone want to check out this event?

It is free and there is nothing else like this event were you can bring
your whole family to impact their future wellness as our society
struggles with weight, illness, accident and other areas of wellness.